To Have and To Hold

August 1, 2011

In 1886, Audrey Cunningham seizes upon an opportunity to bring her father back to his roots in hopes that he will stop drinking and find a connection with God. She moves with him to his childhood home on Bridal Veil Island. Once there, they discover that investors are hell bent on purchasing his land in order to build a mammoth resort. Her father contacts Marshall Graham, a contractor who is the son of a former drinking buddy. Audrey is openly hostile to him, and he doesn't much like her either, but when she becomes romantically interested in a widower with two daughters, Marshall realizes that he likes the independent Audrey a lot more than he originally thought. VERDICT Peterson ("Brides of Gallatin" and "Song of Alaska" series) is a household name among CF readers, and that alone should necessitate purchase. Her popularity aside, this is a fine start to a new series by the coauthors of the "Broadmoor Legacy" series. Its unconventional heroine and historic backdrop should appeal to fans of Miller's other works.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2011
Fan favorites Peterson and Miller team up again to tell the story of Audrey Cunningham, who, against her wishes, moves with her father from Pittsburgh to Bridal Veil Island, Georgia. Soon plans are developed for a luxurious resort community. Audrey's father owes a great deal of money in property taxes, so he agrees to oversee the project and open their home as a boardinghouse for the workers. Aunt Thora, sassy and still dead set against Yankees more than 20 years after the war's end, grudgingly helps Audrey manage the house. Not only must Audrey care for the boarders. She must also deal with her father's failing health. When construction doesn't go according to plan, Marshall Graham, the project manager, must get to the bottom of the trouble. As he struggles with his work, he also struggles with romantic feelings for Audrey, despite clashing with Audrey's headstrong and suspicious nature. As usual, the award-winning coauthors blend history, romance, and faith in an exciting story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)